An Age of New Ideas and Influential People
The Axial Age was a period of great spiritual growth. During the age, around 500 BC, many great philosophers and religious leaders emerged with their "new ideas" about life; for example, Confuscius had new ideas about ancestral respect and Siddartha Gautama (aka The Buddha) emerged with his notions about the role of suffering.
Some Leaders of the Axial Age
Confuscius
Confuscius or "Kong Fuzi" was a famous Chinese thinker and philosopher. Born in 551, Confuscius looked back to the Western Chou as a "Golden Age" of China. His influence became obvious during the reign of Wu-Ti, when Confucianism was intergrated into the government. Consequently, everyone wanted to be in the government.
Lao-Tzu
Did he really exist? Was he a "composite person", someone made up of many men? Many questions surround Lao-Tzu. Assuming he existed, he lived from 604-531 BC. Lao-Tzu wrote the Tao te Ching, a philosophical book that drew inspiration from nature. He believed in the simple life: meditation and tai chi. His philosophies revolved around The Tao: literally, "the way", but more descriptively, a power, an energy that flows through all living things. He was big on balance.
Siddartha Gautama (The Buddha)
Siddartha Gautama (563-483 BC) was born into the noble class and grew up sheltered. One day, he ventured into the city and was disturbed to find a sick man, an old man, and a corpse. Horrified, he set out to end suffering in his life by depriving himself and meditating. After some time, he achieved satoori, or sudden enlightenment, while sitting under a pipal tree.
The Buddha's new religion, Buddhism, was an atheistic religious code. It relied on the Four Noble Truths:
- Suffering (Dukha) exists wherever there is life.
- Desire is the cause of suffering.
- To be free from pain, you must relinquish desire.
- This release leads to enlightenment.
Buddhism also instructed people to follow the eightfold path:
- Right view
- Right intention
- Right speech
- Right action
- Right livelihood
- Right effort
- Right mindfulness
- Right concentration
Though it became a minor religion in India (Hinduism dominated), Buddhism expanded all over the world. While, in modern times, Chinese communists have suppressed it, Buddhism has experienced a revival in more recent years.
Mahavira
Mahavira (599-527 BC) founded Jainism in 550 BC. Jainism's most valued trait was Ahimsa, or unconditional peace. Ahimsa was based on the idea that all living things have a soul. (Mahavira was once bitten by a snake, but he forgave it.) Due to Ahimsa, all Jains were strict vegetarians. Jains believe that Mahavira was the 24th saint, and that people can achieve enlightenment by following the model set by the saints.
Zoraster
Zoraster was a Persian prophet who started Zoroastrianism. He lived in early 600's and the mid-500's B.C. His religion was focused on the battle between good and evil. (Monotheistic.)
All of these leaders gave people new ways to think about life. And all their vastly different concepts emerged independently and at the same time!
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